Perforating apparatus



0t.14,194 1. Q BELO 2,258,641

PERFORATING APPARATUS .Filed Oct. 30, 1939 2 SheetsSheet l v ff/(32M.

Oct. 14, 1941. R BELOW 2,258,641

PERFORATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 30, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M I W i: 0 0 0 0 0 o o o o o o OOOGOQO 00 000 pi? 0 o o o G 0 0 o 0 o o o o o c o o o 0 o O o o o o o o o 0 Y o o 0 o o o o (3 o o o o o o e o o o o oooo ooa o o o o o o o o o o o C) (D o o o o 0 o o o o o o o o o 0 00000 O o o o G 0 0 o o o o o o o o o o 0 0 Q o o o 3 o o o o o o o o o o o o ;;Y\ o o' o o o o o C) (3 3 o q y e 0' c/ P o o o o o 0 H NH: La o o o g gi 3 ij3;7;? o a o o/j;;,, -X H h I o-o o o c 1 O 0 w fig o o o o o o f o o o o o (3 ,;9

THIS PAYMENT DUE .uu Fse mu APR mm mm JUL MP ocv NOV'DEC THIS PAYMENT DUE QB "AR pp; MAY JUE Jul- O 03 u 5E? cor NOV DEC JAN Patented 6st. 14, 1941 PERFORATING APPARATUS John R. Below, Glen Ellyn, 111., as signor to American Perforator Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application October 30, 1939, Serial No. 301,895

2 Claims. (Cl. 164--111) My invention relates to a perforating apparatus.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide improved means for selecting any one of the punches in a rectilinear series of punches.

A further object is to provide improved means for selecting for operation any one of a rectilinear series of punches, the selection being accomplished by means of a selector rotor rotatable about an axis parallel to the line of punches.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the description and claims.

In certain types of business, such, for example, as those involving monthly installment payments,

coupon books are used. Each coupon comprises a bound sheaf of sheets, one sheet for each month in which an installment payment is due, each sheet having one or more rectilinear series of month designated spaces, one space for each month of the year, with the monthly designations of the different sheets superposed but in staggered relation so that when a perforating punch is forced through the sheaf of sheets a perforation Will be made in each sheet and the monthly designation corresponding to each perforation will be different for each sheet. This enables an entire sheaf of monthly installment sheets to be perforated at a single operation, each sheet being perforated to select or designate a month which is different for each sheet. As a result, the sheets may be removed from-the coupon book, one by one, and each sheet, when removed and properly stamped, may be used as a receipt for that particular installment payment. It has been found convenient to arrange the series of spaces for the different months in one or more rectilinear series of spaces on the sheet. This presents a problem as to the best method of controlling the selection of a single punch out of a bank of punches. The present invention provides one solution of this problem.

In the drawings, in which an embodiment of my invention is illustrated,

Figure l is a side elevation of a perforating machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the die and punch holder;

Fig. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view showing the bank of punches and the rotary selector, the showing of some of the punches being omitted for the sake of clarity;

Fig. 4 is a development showing the arrangement of punch-receiving openings of the rotary selector;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a portion of one of the sheets of the coupon book;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the succeeding sheet; and

Fig. 7 is a development showing the arrangement of punch-receiving openings where two independently rotatable rotors are used for selecting the desired punch.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the construction shown comprises a base I, a die and punch holder 2 mounted on the base and a perforating head 3 pivotally mounted on the base to swingabout the pivot pin 4. The die and punch holder shown comprises upper and lower jaws 5 and 6 between which the coupon book to be perforated is placed, two rows of punches 1, one punch for each month arranged to correspond to the series of monthly spaces 8 on the coupon 9 (indicated in Figs. 5 and 6), a die plate it) having twelve openings, one for registration with each one of the punches 1, and a lifter plate ll engaging an enlargement I2 on the punches for lifting them up after they have been operated by the punch-operating head 3. The upper and lower ends of the punches 1 are guided in openings in the guide plate l3 and punch holder 3.

The rotary selector for selecting any desired one of the punches for operation comprises a matrix wheel 14 mounted for rotation on a suitable arbor IE on the punch-operating head. This matrix wheel can be moved to any one of twelve different positions by inserting an operating pin it in any one of the twelvepin-receiving openings IT at one edge of the wheel and. rotating the matrix wheel until this pin comes against a suitably placed stop. The matrix wheel is provided with twelve groups of openings, one group I8 for each montlr. These openings are for registration with the upper ends of the punches i. It will be noted that while there are twelve punches in the bank, there are only eleven openings in each group, the missing opening being different for each group, as indicated at X in Figs. 3, 4 and 7. Where an opening is missing, the corresponding punch is operated. Thus, for each position of the matrix wheel one punch, and only one punch, will be operated, and the punch operated will be different for each different position of the matrix wheel. The operator, by properly positioning the matrix wheel, can select any one punch of the bank of punches for operation and thus by a single operation make a single perforation in each sheet of a coupon book, each perforation designating a different month on the different sheets.

The matrix wheels l9 and 2'6, developments of which are shown in Fig. 7, may be similar to that just described, except that here two matrix wheels are provided, each wheel controlling six punches oi the bank of twelve punches. As previously stated, in Figs. 3, 4 and 7, the missing openings in the matrix wheels are indicated at for the sake of clearness. It will be noted that for each selected position of the matrix wheel only a single punch will be operated and that the punch selected will be different for each different posi tion of the matrix wheel.

, Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is desired, therefore, that the invention be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for perforating any one of a plurality of parallel rectilinear series of spaces in a sheet, comprising a plurality of parallel rectilinear series of punches, one for each space, and means for selectively actuating said punches comprising an arbor having its axis parallel to the line of punches and movable toward and from said punches, and a matrix wheel rotatably mounted on said arbor and manually selectively adjustable to any one of a plurality of diirerent positions, one for each of said selectively-engageable punches, said matrix Wheel being proided with a plurality of rectilinear series of clearance openings, one series for each of said punches, each series comprising clearance openings in parallel rectilinear alignment with said rectilinear series of punches, there being clearance openings in each series for all but a selected one of said punches whereby when the rotor is moved toward the punches only the selected punch is operated, each selected position of said matrix wheel causing the operation of a selected one of said punches, the selection of a punch being different for each different position of the matrix wheel, said clearance openings also being arranged in a plurality of circular series, all the clearance openings of each of said circular series aesaeai lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the matrix wheel, there being clearance openings in each of said circular series, for the particular punch corresponding to said circular series, for all but one of the difierent manually selectable positions of the matrix wheel, said one position being dififerent for each punch of said rectilinear series.

2'. Apparatus for perforating any one of a rectilinear series of spaces in a sheet, comprising a rectilinear series of punches, one for each space, and means for selectively actuating said punches comprising an arbor having its axis parallel to the line of punches and movable toward and from said punches, and a plurality of matrix wheels rotatably mounted on said arbor and each selectively adjustable to any one of a plurality of dif ferent positions, which complement each other to provide one for each of said selectively engageable punches, said matrix wheels complementing each other to provide a plurality of rectilinear serie of clearance openings, one series for each of said punches, each series comprising clearance openings in parallel rectilinear alignment with said rectilinear series of punches, there being clearance openings in each series for all but a selected one of said punches whereby when the rotor is moved toward the punches only the selected punch is operated, each selected position of a matrix wheel causing the operation of a selected one of said punches, the selection of a punch being different for each different position of the matrix wheel, said clearance openings also being arranged in a plurality of circular series, all the clearance openings of each of said circular series lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the matrix Wheel, there being clearance openings in each of said circular series, for the particular punch corresponding to said circular series, for all but one of the different manually selectable positions of the matrix wheel, said one position being different for each punch of said rectilinear series.

JOHN R. BELOW. 

